[Archived] Time We wake up?....

[G Somerset Rover]

It seems to me that maybe Appleton is about the best ground worker we can get at the moment.

People keep saying this but I don't get why? What has he done at Rovers, or in his previous two management jobs that suggests he is? Off the pitch he's made the right noises, but on it? I don't see how we could have done any worse other than to have appointed a 'Judan Ali' type figure, given results and performances to date.

[patrickvalery]

People keep saying this but I don't get why? What has he done at Rovers, or in his previous two management jobs that suggests he is? Off the pitch he's made the right noises, but on it? I don't see how we could have done any worse other than to have appointed a 'Judan Ali' type figure, given results and performances to date.

As i said, results have been extremely questionable and i'm not convinced he is the man to take us from no-hopers to Premier League contenders. But what i hear him say echoes how i feel. The club needs an overhaul and it might mean going back to basics in order to move forward in time. Do you not agree with his assessment of the club Somerset? I don't believe he has been in the position long enough to change things. He has tried to patch up our deficiencies in the short term to close out the season.

As for his last two jobs, well he was at Blackpool for five minutes and the Pompey job was well documented as being impossible in the circumstances. Judan Ali would have done as he was told and almost certainly failed in attempting to play a beautiful game as instructed by Singh.

I'm not a huge Appleton fan by any means. I just think that if he manages to do what he says he wants to and fix the problems in the squad then he'll be on the right track. The club needs some fight and spirit about it. The squad we have is a soft touch with the most fragile mental strength i think i've ever seen. You could see from very early on last season that relegation was a certainty. The summer recruits were powder puff and you could see the confidence ebb from the side once they realised this league is for bigger boys then them. All the potential and false praise heaped upon them by Kean sooned faded once they got a good kicking from some of the cloggers in the division. Case in point being Millwall. They got to Wembley because they were prepared to kick us harder than we would kick them. Some of our players just didn't fancy it enough. They pine for the comfort of the PL where kicking isn't allowed anymore.

I just cannot see why fans say things like the club should belong to the fans and then complain when a manager talks about wanting players willing to fight tooth and nail for the cause - for the fans. It seems like some quarters have very short memories. Not 12 months ago we were stuck with Captain Positive Steve Kean. Every defeat was 'unfortunate' and poor performance was glossed over with 'glimpses of promise'. We were lied to every single week. Now we have a manager who might not be top drawer or even one below that, but he's honest and has sidelined the clown Singh. I know who's stewardship i'd rather be under.

[Rover_Shaun]

Not 12 months ago we were stuck with Captain Positive Steve Kean. Every defeat was 'unfortunate' and poor performance was glossed over with 'glimpses of promise'.

It's strange but you have just described the last fortnight under the current clown

[patrickvalery]

It's strange but you have just described the last fortnight under the current clown

Fair enough pal. You managed to cherry pick one line out of the post to back up your point. Probably best to skirt around the rest of it eh?

[Rover_Shaun]

Probably because it's obvious he's all wind and p.iss. Talks the talk (well what he thinks people like to hear) but when it comes to walking the walk...........

Then he blames the fans for playing brainless hoofball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fife Rover]

a

But when we've had players who tried their best, gave it their all and they were still not liked by many. Kieth Andrews springs to mind.

As it goes, i am in agreement with you. Until the club gets a playing staff who want to wear the shirt and sweat blood for it then we'll be in trouble. But even in our dire predicament with shambolic owners, a rookie manager struggling to get results, a board devoid of any ideas on how to run a football club and a largely average squad, some fans would still moan if we had eleven players giving it everything and still coming up short.

It is just absolute madness imo. Consider all the many many lows of the last few years, all the whispers of wrong doings behind the scenes, the foul mouthed, clueless Kean era. Now we have a manager in place who seems to be making all the right noises about cleansing the club, recruiting players who are willing to put a shift in, talks of a dressing room consisting of players who 'may go into their shell' in big games, etc.... Whether you consider his results to be below par or not, is this not refreshing enough just to hear such things coming from our manager? It seems to me too many fans expected a manager to waltz in and immediately rally the troops into a promotion charge whilst ridding the club of all the back seat parasites in some moral crusade.

Make no mistake, this club is rotten at the moment. To rebuild this will take years. Appleton may not be getting results, but i am happy that a figurehead at the club feels the same way i do about things and seemingly has the muscle to do something about it. If we manage to avoid the drop this season i'd be happy if we could get some characters in to the playing staff over the summer. Some real seasoned pros who lead by example. Because, although there are pockets of talent in the squad, they need someone on the pitch to give them confidence to use it. Someone who makes players like Ollson, Kean, Rhodes, King, and even Pedersen believe that they have the fight to suceed in this division. The squad is and has been desperately short on leaders for years. We all saw the lift Jermaine Jones gave the side during his brief spell here. Having someone in the trenches with you who is willing to dish it out is paramount in any struggling side in any division. But when you look at our squad do you see it? The closest thing we have is Jason Lowe imo. And i'm sorry, but a kid in his early twenties is going to struggle to inspire a squad of footballers at any level.

I am afraid dear old Uncle Jack has raised the bar for too many fans. The heady days of the early nineties are long gone and success in the present day will only come about by putting in solid foundations. There is no quick fix here. I fear i am repeating myself regarding Appleton, but i think he needs time. Knee jerk reactions to poor results won't help the situation at all. He may not be the man to build a successful Rovers again. But the way i see it is when your building a house you don't get an interior decorator to lay the foundations. You get a ground worker. The time to put together the fanciful e for any of usxtras to make the house attractive is a long long way down the line. It seems to me that maybe Appleton is about the best ground worker we can get at the moment.

Well said Patrick. Excellent summation of the true situation at BRFC and what has to be understood and digested by all true Rovers fans.

It is not a pleasant prospect for any of us, but we do all need to accept the reality of the situation and accept that it is going to be long hard road back to where we can truly say that our beloved club is free of all it's illness and is once again the great little club we all love and support. Alas I fear that this restoration process will take much longer than I have left, and I have already resigned myself to the unpalatable truth that my days as an active Rovers fan are over. I do however have the consolation of over 66yrs as a Rovers fan to look back on, and the first 64 yrs whilst having their ups and downs were truly wonderful in direct comparison with the absolute hell that has descended on us since the arrival of the Venkys.

[patrickvalery]

Probably because it's obvious he's all wind and p.iss. Talks the talk (well what he thinks people like to hear) but when it comes to walking the walk...........

Then he blames the fans for playing brainless hoofball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must have missed him blaming the fans for brainless hoofball tactics. If i have then i apologise.

But i standby my comments. Appleton has said the most logical things to come out of Ewood in 3 years. Good old fashioned hard work is the key. And having a squad willing and capable of doing that is paramount. At this moment in time he doesn't have that available. To get anywhere close to a position we may deem to be successful isn't likely in the short term.

[Rover_Shaun]

Appleton has said the most logical things to come out of Ewood in 3 years.

I direct you to this that sums it up

As regards Appleton, there are distinct signs he is starting to unravel. When he first came it was rather strange man management to tell the squad it wasn't good enough because it had seven number tens.

Then during the week he attempted to hide his own tactical deficiencies by blaming the crowd for the ball being hoofed forward. Yes Michael, the crowd really wanted to see the ball popping off Shittu's head like a ping pong ball off a cliff ad nauseam.

Now he's accusing the squad of being unable to deal with what he says to them in the dressing room?

Getting excuses in in advance and anyone's fault but his it seems.

[T.J.Newton]

whoops, brainfart!

sorry.

[Sparky Marky]

Probably because it's obvious he's all wind and p.iss. Talks the talk (well what he thinks people like to hear) but when it comes to walking the walk...........

Then he blames the fans for playing brainless hoofball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd rather have honest incompetence than that crooked snake lipped Scottish shyte

[booth]

What I'd give for some honest competence again.

[blue_n_white99]

I must have missed him blaming the fans for brainless hoofball tactics. If i have then i apologise.

But i standby my comments. Appleton has said the most logical things to come out of Ewood in 3 years. Good old fashioned hard work is the key. And having a squad willing and capable of doing that is paramount. At this moment in time he doesn't have that available. To get anywhere close to a position we may deem to be successful isn't likely in the short term.

He couldn't find his a$$ with both hands, whether he spouts sense or not he does not have any sort of clue when it comes to running a team. Performances have been absolutely abysmal, now the playing staff may not be motivated, but surely that his part of his role, additionally his tic-tacs make Kean look like a genius he is impervious to the display in front of him and seems incapable of influencing results with tactics or substitutions, my daughter could not do any worse.